2022 Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon & 10K

Twin Strong Performances for TCC in our own backyard

San Francisco is fortunate to host multiple professionally-organized road races each year, from the iconic (and surprisingly competitive) Bay to Breakers to the official San Francisco Marathon. One gem on the calendar is the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K. Making use of the beautiful Golden Gate Park and Great Highway, the race is conveniently placed in an otherwise fallow winter season, letting runners test their fitness between the cross country season in the fall and the start of track season in the spring. The February date also lends itself to good running conditions, although wind can pick up in the very exposed last four miles of the half marathon.

The TCC was represented at this year's KP event with Robin Kutner in the 10K, and Josh Rosenkranz in the half marathon.

Kutner was focused coming into the race on reconnecting with her competitiveness and pushing into the discomfort zone. At this, she was very successful, staying mentally engaged throughout the race, and channeling the support of her ride-along designated cheerer Jeremy into speed on the road. She cruised to the finish in 39:51, good for 7th in her division and accomplishing her secondary goal of breaking forty minutes.

Rosenkranz was in his debut half marathon, but not scared. The race plan of running 5:30s and then summoning a Coach Taylor level of competitiveness for the stretch on Ocean Beach was perhaps too conservative for Rosenkranz. After a trio of 5:30 miles that felt very relaxed, Rosenkranz accelerated and began picking off runners one by one. By the time he reached Ocean Beach, Rosenkranz was in 6th place and eyeing the pair of runners in 4th and 5th off in the distance. He steadily closed the gap and shortly after the turnaround on Ocean Beach, eased past the two runners into 4th place. Though his pace (and his enthusiasm for the half marathon distance) lagged slightly in miles 12 and 13, he was able to pull out his best grimace and a clock-inspired kick to dip just below 70 minutes, finishing in 69:58. Given the importance of those 2 seconds, much credit is owed to the support of the TCC: the cheers of Robin and Katie on the course and a possible fly-by of Rebecca along JFK (either that, or Rosenkranz flashed a big smile at some poor, unsuspecting stranger running the opposite direction).

The two athletes were kind enough to interview one another after their respective races, and that conversation is below.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity

Josh: How were you feeling going into the race? What goals did you have? What (if any) race plan did you have?

Robin: I felt good going into the race but not necessarily too confident or aware of what pace to shoot for. My main goal was to achieve the hurt of racing - and I mean that in a good way - which I haven't done much of since before covid hit. My plan was to feel somewhat in control for the first half, then push the rolling hills, and finally try to use the downhill on JFK Drive as much as I could. I did want to PR, which seemed reasonable since my last 10k was in 2018, but I wanted to keep the "process" goals at top of mind rather than the numbers.

J: Walk us through the race. What did you think of the course? How was your pacing? How was the level of support out on the course?

R: The race morning logistics are very easy for those of us who live near Golden Gate Park. I thought the course was great! It's fun to have these big streets closed off just for us (Fell, Oak, Kezar), and the course design makes it easy for spectators to hit multiple spots along the route. I think my pacing was pretty good, and it followed the plan: consistent splits in the first 4 miles (~6:30), which means I worked harder on the hills in 3-4, and then I dropped to ~6:05s on the downhill final miles. It was great to see so much of the running community (including TCCer Katie) out on the course spectating. My partner Jeremy (friend of TCC) basically followed me on the course with his bike, though the jury is out on whether that is ultra-supportive or borderline annoying...

J: How did the outcome of the race compare with your expectations going into the race?

R: I really tried to not have strict expectations so that the outcome felt positive, since it's been so long since I've had a good race. And it was indeed positive! 39:51 for a sizable PR.

J: If you had been wearing a TCC-branded singlet, do you think you would have run:

1. a little faster

2. a fair amount faster -- R: I'm going with this, though my primary team (the Impalas) may take issue with this...

3. a lot faster

J: What's next on the racing calendar for you?

R: I'm not signed up for anything else, actually, but I am planning to hit as many of the PA-USATF short course races as I can this spring.

J: Anything else you want to share with the TCC?

R: While we may not be fully out of the woods in terms of covid, it does feel like racing is back in earnest! I'm stoked about that. Looking forward to more fun competitions for TCC.

Robin: How were you feeling going into the race? What goals did you have? What (if any) race plan did you have?

Josh: This was really my first race post-collegiately that I had a healthy buildup to, so I was definitely excited going in. I thought trying to break 72 minutes and place in the top 15 were solid achievable goals. I didn't really have a firm race plan, I just wanted to go out at 72 minute pace (5:30/mile) and make sure I was ready to start racing when we got to Ocean Beach.

R: Walk us through the race. What did you think of the course? How was your pacing? How was the level of support out on the course?

J: I went out at exactly the pace I wanted for the first three miles, and then picked it up a little since I was still feeling incredibly relaxed at that point. I started picking off groups of runners and by the time we got to the end of the park, I was a minute ahead of where I thought I would be at that point. This is a little embarrassing/weird but when we got to Ocean Beach, I almost started crying because I realized based on how I felt and the pace I was running that it was going to be a good one. It had also just been so long since I had been healthy enough to train and race at a level I knew I was capable of, and it was just good to be back there. I was able to keep the pressure on all along Ocean Beach but by the time the last mile came along I was definitely hurting. When I first saw the clock at the finish line, it was at 1:09:30 and I was like "Oh, I'll definitely be there well under 1:10". About 10 seconds later I realized I was not as close as I thought I would be and really had to work that last hundred meters. The pain face came out in all its glory!

The support throughout the race was awesome! It was my first race in a West Valley singlet and I got a lot of cheers just by virtue of that, especially when doubling back past the rest of the race on the way back towards the park on the Great Highway. And it was great seeing TCCers Katie and Robin at multiple points along the route!

R: How did the outcome of the race compare with your expectations going into the race?

J: Definitely better than I ever expected going into the race. I might have to revise my goals for Boston now!

R: If you had been wearing a TCC-branded singlet, do you think you would have run

1. a little faster

2. a fair amount faster

3. a lot faster -- J: definitely this

R: What's next on the racing calendar for you?

J: Boston in April! My brother and my dad also qualified this year so it's going to be a full family affair.

R: Anything else you want to share with the TCC?

J: The Thursday morning runs are awesome!